Red and Black
by secretlyaweasley
Summary: Lily Evans had spent five years proudly hating James Potter, but amidst NEWT-level classes, the beginnings of war, and the inevitableness of growing up, even the most strong-willed must be willing to change their opinions of others
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first story on here; it's a multi-chapter Jily fic that I was inspired to write because of the ever-beautiful Life and Times. And if you're reading it, thank you! And I hope you like it! And though I wish I did in fact own these characters and this world and have James Potter as my own...alas, it all belongs to Queen Rowling. Warning: this story contains swear words**

**Prologue**

**1 September 1971**

James Potter entered Lily Evan's life like a thunderstorm. She was 11 years old, sitting on the Hogwarts Express and watching all the magical families on the platform, in their rainbow of robes, everyone with their own special wands and odd gadgets that she had never seen before. It was his first day at Hogwarts too, but he strode onto Platform 9 ¾ with a confidence that only comes from growing up in this world of spells and enchantments, his glasses and smile both crooked and, to her at least, very endearing. The first thing she noticed was his hair, messy and almost as black as his robes. Lily's 11-year-old self found him as good-looking as the singing rockstars on her telly. She was quite sure that she was deeply in love with him. But of course, that was before she actually _met_ James Potter.

**30 May 1975**

Lily stumbled back into the Gryffindor Common Room, ready after this exhausting day to curl into her bed upstairs and just forget about the shite that was constituting her life. She had just lost her best mate. The image of Severus begging her for forgiveness outside the Common Room just moments before kept playing in her head, like a sad scene in a just-watched film. But Lily, deep down, knew she had done the right thing… no matter how hard it would be to not turn back. He had called her a… a mudblood in front of her entire year. Something that, in these times, was unforgivable. But worse than the actual words was the way he said it, like he wanted to cause her pain. Friends didn't do that to other friends. It was, unfortunately, horribly, as simple as that. The longest friendship she had ever had was… over.

In a daze she walked across the common room, ignoring the worried looks on the faces of her friends and classmates. Even the girls she had roomed with since first year knew better than try to talk to her, simply sending her weak smiles of support. But one Gryffindor, never having been able to understand the importance of personal space, ran up behind Lily and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, Evans, how did that go?" James Potter, looking at her with a mixture of concern and pity on his handsome face. Lily was angry, and rightly so. But, as young, upset teenagers (and people in general) so often do, Lily directed it towards the wrong teenage boy. Lily instantly connected Severus's actions with what had been happening immediately before Lily tried to intervene. And Lily instantly realized (falsely so) that Severus was only treating her cruelly, had only been growing apart from her, was only befriending those obsessive Slytherins, because of horrible, bullying James Potter.

"Wonderfully, thanks to you." Sarcasm dripped out of every syllable as Lily shrugged his strong hand off of her shoulder.

"Wait. Are you seriously blaming me for what just happened?" She stopped walking, turning around to listen to him, but too upset to bother answering. He wouldn't listen even if she did. He never did (Lily told herself angrily).

James stared at Lily expectantly, his worried expression transforming into one of fury and frustration with every passing second. Finally he couldn't take the silence anymore. "Honestly? God, Evans, you are mental. Fucking mental. I would never dare to, even think… that word! Especially not about you. He's the one that said it! I never made him… if he was half a decent bloke he wouldn't have gotten so bloody pissy about your attempt to help him." He continued, saying every word with such animosity that it was obvious that the day's events had also put him on edge. "You think you have everyone all figured out, but you don't. You are so stuck in the images your mind created five years ago that you won't notice how much people can change." Lily turned around and started walking away, too emotionally drained to deal with James Potter. But he continued, "for Christ's sake Evans, it took Snivellus's calling you a mudblood for you to finally realize what I have been trying to tell you for years! Maybe if you had listened to me for once…" James's voice trailed off, his meaning evident.

Lily didn't care that the entire common room was watching expectantly. They had seen enough James and Lily arguments that this one would fade away and lose importance by this time tomorrow. With her voice cracking and her face redder than her hair, Lily yelled out at James, "you, Potter, are the largest, most insufferable, most horriblearse that I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. And honestly, if you cared about me about a centimetre as much as you claim to, you would do me one favour. And never, ever speak to me again! Your very presence sickens me. You always want to appear the hero don't you? Well you're not. You're as much of a git as he is! Just…" Lily searched for the right word to say (even in the heat of the moment she understood that there are some words a prefect should never utter in front of first years), "just bugger off!"

With that, Lily ran up to her empty bedroom and fell onto her bed in a painful mixture of exhaustion and anger and sadness. But mainly sadness. Fully clothed, Lily Evans fell asleep on her curtained bed, with her final waking thoughts on blurring images of two soot-haired boys, one mousy and sullen, and the other handsome and cocky. One she (unfortunately) understood, the other still a mystery.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: To those who have followed/reviewed this story... you don't know how much I love you. Here's the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it! And if there's any grammar errors please tell me; I checked this at 1:00 a.m. while listening to the Les Mis soundtrack so something probably slipped my attention... Reviews in general are pretty awesome :) **

**Disclaimer: Everything is the property of J.K. Rowling (even me)**

1 September 1975

Lily Evans had always loved the beginning of the school year. Buying new uniforms and quills and parchment and books, finally seeing her friends again after 2 and ½ months in the Muggle world. All of this, added to the promise of returning to her favourite place in the world, was usually enough to cancel out the usual teenage anxiety over homework and exams and waking up early. But this year, Lily was noticeably less excited than usual. It had not escaped her mother's notice that every time a particular greasy haired, long nosed boy would walk by, Lily would immediately make an excuse and run the other way. Nevertheless, by the end of August, Lily was feeling quite sure that she could handle running into her ex-best mate around school. So it was with the air of a soldier prepared for a particularly important battle that Lily jogged onto Platform 9 ¾ for her first day of her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Of course, there was the subject of a certain Mr. James Potter, who Lily had spent the whole summer very adamantly _not _thinking about. Lily spent so much time on not thinking about James Potter that she did not at all notice that he had not sent his usual "happy summer!" letter, and she had not missed it, with its immature jokes and innuendos, one bit. Lily was quite happy that James Potter seemed to be over his foolish infatuation, if it even could be called such. It was most likely just a prolonged attempt to deeply annoy her.

No matter how much Lily had thought (or had not thought) about the two very different boys over the summer, once she was standing on Platform 9 ¾, taking in all the excitement and greetings and chatter which comes with the first day of school., she couldn't help but feel just a little bit eager to start the new year. But Lily had to move quickly because for the first time in her six years at Hogwarts, Lily had not arrived early to King's Cross (it was, of course, the fault of her sister's big-headed boyfriend who insisted on them having a family breakfast before she left to her "reformatory school" and who had then proceeded to spend an hour and a half consuming every edible thing in sight.) She hurried onto the train, anxious to drop off her things in her friends' compartment before rushing off to the prefect meeting.

So preoccupied was she with checking every compartment for the faces of her fellow sixth year Gryffindors, Lily did not see James Potter approaching until he was right in front of her.

With a short nod of her head, Lily managed out a courteous, "Potter," internally sighing at the irritating conversation that he was going to instate, and that she didn't have time for. But he just… Lily stared in shock at the retreating figure of James Potter, who had walked by her without even a simple hello. But… Lily couldn't even try to understand what had just happened. James always talked (excessively) to everyone, especially to her.

Lily stood in the middle of the corridor, too confused to care how many people were having trouble moving around at her expense. James had finally done exactly what she had always wanted. He had just left her alone. Not even acknowledging her presence. And honestly, it was a wonderful relief, after last year, but… Lily couldn't understand it. James Potter had never been the type of boy to give up, and now he was just going to ignore her? Not that it bothered her… but it was just odd… and Lily was not the type of girl to leave a puzzle unsolved.

Lily would probably have spent the rest of the trip to Hogwarts standing in the middle of isle, contemplating the complexities of male action, if a female voice had not called out her name (at a very high volume) a minute later. Lily looked up, smiling at her friend and roommate, the ever-entertaining Marlene McKinnon, all thoughts of James (momentarily) forgotten. Marlene, an attractive witch with hair the colour of molten chocolate, shining hazel eyes, and a curvy figure, quickly pushed past the surrounding lowerclassmen, enveloping her friend in a tight hug.

"Lily!"

"Marlene!" Lily jokingly imitated her friend's excited tone. "Your hair!"

"Oh, Lily you noticed! I was going for a brunette Farrah Fawcitt vibe." Marlene tossed some wispy hair over her shoulder.

"You know what? I see it." Lily nodded sagely as she pretended to deeply study her friend's new layers. "And everyone will think it's you being original and fabulous because they'll have no idea who Farrah Fawcitt is."

"Exactly!" Marlene sighed dramatically. "Oh my darling Lily, my summer was so boring without you there to fill the empty void of my heart!"

"I wrote you every week Marlene."

"Is a friend not allowed to be excited by the sight of another friend who she has not seen all summer? Come on, everyone's waiting for you." With that Marlene threw her arm over Lily's shoulder and started leading her toward the compartment where their other roommates where already situated. "Anyway, you do not understand how much telly I watched this summer. It was honestly pathetic. Except for the one week when I was visiting Rome," (said with a blissful sigh), "I did not do anything. At all! But we're back and this year, I'm ready to get me one disreputable reputation."

"You say that every year Marlene darling, and so far the most disreputable thing you've done is drink half a glass of firewhiskey and snog Andrew Ginney."

Marlene stuck her tongue out at her friend and pretended to act offended, but got over it rather quickly, seeing how much she had to tell her friend. "Talking about Andrew Ginney, I ran into him in Flourish and Blotts and he is much fitter than he was last year." Before Lily could properly respond, Marlene abruptly stopped and pulled open the door of a compartment where two of their three remaining roommates had already made themselves comfortable. Dorcas Meadowes, a Chaser for the Gryffindor quidditch team with dark brown eyes and flaxen hair up in its usual ponytail, had her feet propped up on one of the seats, filling in their other roommate, Mary MacDonald, on all the gossip which she had accumulated over the past few weeks while simultaneously flicking through the latest copy of _Witch Weekly. _Mary Simmons, with her big blue eyes, curly light brown hair, and soft laugh was often viewed as the quietest of the group, but her friends knew better. Lounging back on her bookbag, she responded to every tidbit of information with a humorous one-liner. The only girl missing was Alice Fortescue, who was most probably off with her boyfriend of two years, seventh year Frank Longbottom.

Dorcas stopped in the middle of her story as soon as she saw Lily, waving at her lazily from her spot in the corner of the compartment. "Hullo Lily, I would get up to greet you properly but then someone," with a look directed toward Marlene, standing in the doorway, "will undoubtedly take the spot which I worked so hard to get for myself if I did."

Mary laughed brightly as she jumped up and enveloped Lily in a hug. "Ahh! How was your summer!" Mary let go and searched Lily's expression. "How are you doing about you know… things?" Lily rolled her eyes at her friend's concern. Of course Mary would want to bring up Severus so soon, and of course she would do it in the sweetest way possible.

"I'm fine, Mary. Honestly." Noticing the doubtful looks on all of her friends' faces, Lily repeated herself, "I really am honestly fine. Honestly." Lily's friends were still watching her doubtfully, but instead of repeating herself yet again she sighed and told them she had a prefects meeting to get to (which, checking her watch, she realized was very true.) Cursing to herself, Lily ran to the Heads' compartment on the back of the train and barged in, standing awkwardly in the doorway as the eyes of every Hogwarts prefect stared at the tardy 6th year. Smiling uncomfortably at the Head Girl, who had stopped in the middle of her speech at Lily's abrupt entrance, Lily began apologizing, "I'm so sorry to interrupt! I've just been running late all morning and—"

"It's fine Lily. Just take a seat. Remus can fill you in later." Jessica Canley, the newly installed Head Girl (bearing her usual resemblance to a frightened mouse), smiled weakly at Lily and continued with her notes.

Sliding into an empty spot next to her fellow Gryffindor prefect, the tall, lanky, sandy-haired Remus Lupin, Lily observed the vast differences between this year's Head Boy and Girl. The Head Girl was Jessica Canley, a Ravenclaw who deserved an attendance award for her time spent in the library, and who constantly imposed a no-nonsense attitude amongst her fellow students (especially in situations, such as this one, where she held control). Looking down at the pieces of parchment containing schedules and guidelines for the year, Lily quickly realized that, if simply up to the Head Girl, this year would not be filled with the casual jokes and flexible rounds of her prefect experience of the year before. Jessica was also famous for looking down upon all the social pursuits of her fellow students, excluding the potentially beneficial Slug Club, of which she was a proud member. Lily, with her sweet smile and serious academic focus, was one of the few prefects (and students) who Jessica could actually stand.

Jack Lenking, the pompous Head Boy, already had the deep, hearty laugh of a middle-aged man. Looking closely, Lily could see exactly how he would look like in 50 years, like a slightly skinnier Horace Slughorn who would call everyone "old boy." He was the type of teenage boy who slicked back his hair and wore sweater vests on Hogsmeade weekends. But despite his slightly pretentious tone, Lily couldn't help liking the hard-working Hufflepuff who always greeted her with a smile and a firm handshake (the latter of which was slightly unnecessary).

As Jessica was droning on about the responsibilities of representing the school, Lily's mind slipped and, led by her awareness of his presence in the compartment, wandered to thoughts about Severus. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily caught a glimpse of him chuckling half-heartedly at some mean quip made by one of his fellow Slytherins. It was odd. As much as Lily thought about him, she couldn't help but realize that she missed their memories together more than she actually missed Severus himself. Lily suddenly had a vivid image of this time last year, when Snape was not yet fully ashamed of their friendship, and was willing to degrade himself so much as to appear in public with a Mudblood for a friend. She remembered heading to the library after a prefects meeting, when he once spent a good 30 minutes making spiteful jokes about Jack. At the time, Lily had told herself he was being funny and amusing, but looking back, Lily realized that he could be as much of a bullying arse as James Potter.

Lily broke away from her revelry as Jack clapped his hands together loudly and called the meeting to a close. As everyone got up and herded out the door, Lily turned to the Gryffindor sitting at her side, who was currently organizing the many loose parchments he had received from the Heads.

"Remus! How are you? How was your summer?"

With a sweet smile on his pale face, Remus said, "Well, you know, it was basically the same old, same old. Mainly just Peter and me—" here he paused a second, "well mainly me attempting to keep James and Sirius from blowing up James's house. And I was mostly successful actually." With a shrug of his shoulders and a self-satisfied expression, Remus, holding on tightly to the papers, got up and started moving toward the now empty doorway.

Lily's ears perked up at the sound of James's name and she immediately started trying to think of ways to introduce the topic of James's earlier strangeness into the conversation.

"So, you stayed at Potter's house, then?" Lily asked as she matched her pace to Remus's, pretty sure that they were supposed to do rounds of the corridors together.

"No… not exactly. Sirius did, of course. But Peter and I stayed at home; we just visited quite a lot."

"And what exactly do you mean by 'mostly successful?'" Lily asked, still trying to find a way to word her other question.

"Lily, you can't honestly think that James and Sirius can spend an entire 2 ½ months without blowing up at least one toilet."

"Blimey." Lily was still mentally imagining this occurrence when Remus responded with a question of his own.

"Ya, basically. How was your summer?"

"Ugh, boring, magicless, muggilly."

"Lily, I'm pretty sure 'muggilly' is not a word."

"If you met my sister's fiancée, you would understand how great a slip that is on the part of Oxford."

"Pardon?"

"Oxford English dictionaries."

Remus stared blankly at Lily.

"Ever heard of them? No?"

"No, sorry." Lily often forgot that Remus was a half-blood, and not a muggleborn like herself. Part of it was his superb knowledge of muggle music, but it was more than that. She sometimes got a feeling from him that he felt like an outsider in the wizarding world, a feeling which she occasionally got herself.

There was a lull in the conversation, which Lily saw as the perfect opening. "You know, speaking of Potter—"

"We weren't speaking about Potter; we were speaking about Oxperd. " Remus looked into a compartment full of noisy third years with a bemused expression on his face.

"Oxford." Lily corrected him subconsciously. "And yes we were; you were telling me all about your visits to the Potter residence." Before Remus could respond, Lily continued. "_Anyway_, I saw him when I got onto the train and he seemed… I guess 'out of it' would be the best way to describe it. Has he been acting odd lately?"

"Well, nothing beyond his usual oddness." Remus smiled to himself at his own joke.

"Oh. Okay then."

"Why? What was he doing? Helping first years with their things? Because that would definitely be out of it for James."

"No he…" Lily suddenly realized how foolish and arrogant it sounded. "He walked by without saying hello," she said quietly.

Remus gave her a questioning look.

"It's just that, last year, he seemed to…"

"Be a tad Lily-obsessed?" Remus asked with a smirk.

"NO. No. No. It's not that. He just had a…

"Way of always knowing your whereabouts?" Remus said softly, as if speaking to himself. It was Lily's turn to curiously look at her companion..

"Um… kind of. Ya… Honestly, Marlene used to joke that he had a 'Lily Radar,'" Lily chuckled weakly. "But I'm digressing. So he hasn't been acting unusually weird lately? Lost in thought, maybe? Brooding? Sullen?"

"James is only brooding when he thinks a bird is watching. And that's actually more Sirius's game. But it actual—" Remus was interrupted by a fight that had broken up in a compartment in front of them, and it was 30 minutes before he and Lily could continue on the subject.

* * *

"You were saying?" Lily asked with an apprehensive look on her face, diving right into the conversation despite the half hour intermission.

"What?" Remus obviously didn't share Lily's impatience on continuing the conversation. "Oh right," he remembered their previous conversation. "I was just saying that it might be due to the fact that Prongs has a girlfriend."

"Because this is a… first? Because Potter has never hit on me when he was dating Jennie Marks, or Lizzie Luthers, or Cathleen Gunthers, or that Ravenclaw Priscilla or—"

"I think it's different this time. He seems quite serious about this one." The pair reached the end of a corridor and wordlessly turned around towards the front of the train (most of which they had yet to reach on their rounds).

"Mmmm."

"No, honestly! It's already been…" Remus did some calculations. "3 weeks."

"3 weeks. If that is considered an impressive track record for you men, I pity the female population of Hogwarts."

"For James, it actually is quite impressive."

"Mhm. And who exactly is the lucky lady?"

"Camille Cardice." Lily stopped walking abruptly, quickly trying to connect a face to the name. An attractive(ish) Hufflepuff with medium-length brown hair and a pack of friends all identical to her came to mind.

"Our year? Hufflepuff?" Lily almost wished that Remus would tell her she was thinking of someone else.

"That's the one," Remus answered disinterestedly.

"And he honestly likes her? But she's so… I mean…" Lily was quiet for a second, trying to find a way to best express herself.

"She's nice." Remus said, but in the kind of voice that told Lily that he was not the president of Camille Cardice's fan club. The pair was again interrupted by a crying first year, already homesick, and Lily had to temporarily abandon her discomfort to help the 11 year old.

* * *

When she finished, and Remus and she had continued their walk down the corridor, she said, "well, anyway, she will love to constantly remind Potter how _wonderful _he is. She's the type. He must enjoy the confidence boost."

"That's impressive," Remus stated with an eyebrow raise.

"Pardon?"

"You managed to insult both members of the relationship with a simple statement."

"Oh, I'm sorry Remus… I know you're friends with Potter and all that, it's just that, well, you know... And Camille isn't the most incredible girl either."

"She's nice." Remus said loyally, but his quick grimace betrayed other thoughts.

"Mmmm." They walked in an awkward silence for a few minutes; that conversation obviously over. Lily tried to change the subject, deciding to ask for the story about the blown up toilets, figuring that it would be lively enough to keep her entertained (and to keep her mind away from the topic that caused her unusual discomfort). Remus gave Lily a startled look, fully knowing her deep disdain towards the Marauders' pranks.

"It was over the summer, Remus. So technically no school rules were broken in the process."

Remus thought for a moment, "well… if we're getting technical…" He looked sheepishly at Lily, shrugging.

"Fine. You all have immunity for the next…," Lily checked her watch to see how much time remained in their rounds, "20 minutes. I shant even get upset." Remus simply responded with an eyebrow raise.

"I'm in the mood for a humorous antidote! Really."

"Fine. But if you want a funny story, I should probably tell you about what we did for Mrs. Potter's birthday gala." Remus broke into a rarely seen mischievous grin, proceeding to tell every detail and conversation involved, repeatedly shaking his head and smiling at the idiocy of his best friends. But Lily was only half listening. Despite her best effort, she was still milling over the fact that James Potter, _James Potter, _had a serious girlfriend. It had taken a bit of time to sink in. But Lily started thinking… and it really made sense. It explained their earlier interaction… James obviously was thinking rationally for the first time in his life. Why bother with a girl who has consistently rejected you when you're in a committed relationship? Why bother coming up with ways to get Lily's attention when it's no longer necessary? Lily told herself that her previous discomfort was simply the effect of her shock. Once it sunk in, Lily felt quite happy about the current situation. She broke into a smile (at, coincidentally, the climax of Remus's story), feeling a new kind of freedom at the prospect of a Potter-free year. A simple year. A year without the constant mental strain of coming up with new ways to relay to someone a very obvious message of dislike. At that moment, she didn't even bother chiding a rowdy group of fourth years, so content was she with her own romantic fortune (or misfortune, if other teenage witches were to be asked).

The 20 minutes passed quickly for the two smiling teenagers, and it was a short time before the Ravenclaw prefects walked toward them, indicating the end of their shift. Lily bid her fellow Gryffindor goodbye, strolling to the compartment containing her roommates and closest friends.

The scene greeting Lily inside her friends' compartment was one she had seen many times in the past. Inside the compartment, Dorcas had not shifted from her stretched out position, excepting that her long, toned legs were now stretched out on Marlene's lap. Mary, was currently sitting with her logs crossed on the floor, leaning on the seat opposite her friends and searching in a box of Bertie Bott's for a particularly interesting jellybean to feed Marlene. Dorcas was vocally taking a quiz on relationships from a new magazine and eating a chocolate frog, while Marlene and Mary were keeping up a constant side commentary on every stupid question.

"Come Lily! We are trying to decide whether I am most fitted to date a class clown, jock, or brainiac." Dorcas paused a second, cocking her head. "Dear lord, this magazine really is obviously American."

"Lily!" Mary greeted while simultaneously handing Marlene a speckled orange bean. Marlene immediately ingested the candy and appeared thoughtful for a moment as she slowly chewed it. "Pumpkin, I'm guessing. Not my favourite but not bad. Not bad at all." Mary let out a sigh of frustration and looked back into the box.

Lily situated herself on the seat opposite Dorcas, copying her friend's position.

"Sorry Lils, we had bought you some stuff from the trolley, but I got hungry and ate it all," Marlene said with a nonchalant shrug. Lily immediately leaned over towards Mary, who had poured a splashed of colours onto her hand and was chewing a cherry flavoured jelly bean while searching for the most interesting one to give to Marlene. Lily studied her friend's hand for a second before loudly asserting, "I hope you find a booger one to give her, Mary."

"Well. That's one way to treat people." Marlene leaned over and grabbed a neon green bean from Mary's palm. "Oh and—" Marlene reached behind her and pulled out a blue and gold box. "I'm keeping your chocolate frog."

"Aw Marlene! You bought me a chocolate frog. That's too sweet!" Lily looked imploringly at her friend because, honestly, she was hungry, and she really needed some more cards for her collection (at the moment, she was on a mad search for a Morgana).

"What? No… I guess, but you… I'm eating it now." Marlene had been momentarily confused by Lily's unexpected outburst of charm, but as soon as she realized the thought process, she resolutely started to open the box.

"Jock? Honestly, I could have told you that!" Dorcas suddenly exclaimed from her position by the window. "This magazine is rubbish. And there are no pictures of The Nargles, even though the lead singer got a new haircut and looks so fit." Dorcas sighed and reached behind Marlene, where there was apparently a very large stash of candy. Lily sat up in excitement.

"Thanks a mill, Dorcas. Now we have to give Lily something, or else we'll appear selfish." Marlene sighed dramatically. Lily simply smiled in response and grabbed the largest chocolate cauldron she could find. "Thank you," Lily sung right before she shoved the chocolate pastry into her rosebud mouth.

Mary wordlessly held out a bean (the color of the outcast sky) to Marlene, and the latter shrugged and popped it in her mouth. Marlene's expression quickly turned into one of deep disgust and she grabbed a napkin from behind herself (what didn't they have back there?) and spit out the jelly bean, by then the colour of soggy charcoal. "I need frog." She finished ripping open the previously abandoned box and ferociously sunk her teeth into a long leg of the jumping chocolate.

"Ds es sa dericious." Marlene smiled to herself, leaning back (against the now visible pile of sugary treats).

"Eh no, ri'?" Lily responded as she took yet another giant sized bite out of her chocolate cauldron.

"What?" Dorcas asked as she looked around in confusion.

"Don't worry about it," Mary responded with a small laugh as she offered her friend a pale blue bean.

"Think not." Dorcas continued eating her Fizzing Whizbees in relative peace, staring absentmindedly at the magazine on her lap. "You know, Lily…" Dorcas reached into her bag for another Whizbee.

"Mmm," Lily responded, only half-paying attention.

"The problem with this quiz is that the best men are all three. I would never date someone smart if they weren't funny as well, and I hardly look at anyone who doesn't have the prerequisite of being a Quidditch player."

"Hmmm." Lily swallowed and thought for a second. She suddenly guffawed, loudly enough to make Marlene drop her chocolate frog in surprise.

"Absolutely not." Lily resolutely took another bite out of her chocolate cauldron. She chewed intensely for a few seconds before swallowing and continuing her thought. "Of course, there are people who are funny, athletic and intelligent, and they are fine individuals. But when you have an overdose of those three, you end up with… with… James Potter, for example. And he is just an excessive human being, if you ask me." Dorcas rolled her eyes and Marlene muttered under her breath, "oh bloody hell, here we go."

Lily didn't pay attention to her friends, instead continuing on her ramblings. "Were you aware that James Potter has a girlfriend? I just found that one out. I'm sure it's not going to last, because it _is _James Potter we are talking about. But you would not believe who it is! Camille Cardice. That Hufflepuff. The one with the friends who all seem to be using Polyjuice Potion to look _exactly the same_. My question is how Potter will be able to tell which one is Camille. And you know, Remus told me what an amazing feat their relationship has been for Potter. Because for _him, _a fortnight is the longest he's gone in one relationship! How can women in this school be so in _love _with him if he obviously cannot be in a committed relationship? How could a woman trust him? He's… he's… he's such a slag! And worse than that, he's going to be so _cocky _about his new relationship, acting as if Camille is actually someone that men strive to be with. Ugh, he really is probably is the worst boyfriend though, and I kind of pity the poor girl. But honestly, how would she not see how unreliable and untrustworthy he is? He's a pig! He's so…" Lily ran her pale hands through her wavy hair, too frustrated to finish her thought. The compartment was quiet for a few moments, until Marlene turned to Dorcas with a smug smile. "You owe me five knuts."

"I think not. You bet 10 minutes; it was about 6 or 7." Dorcas shrugged and finished off the bag of Fizzing Whizbees. Lily stared at her friends with utmost confusion etched in every fibre of her face.

"It was closer than yours though!" Marlene argued, her chocolate frog abandoned next to her.

"That was not specified in the rules. It had to be 10. I would have allowed 9 or 11, but that's it."

"Rubbish. You're making this up. Just give me the knuts and we'll call it even."

"I think not."

"I won the bet!"

"Not exactly."

"I would disagree."

Mary lazily watched her friends argue but Lily's head was turning between the two speakers so quickly that she felt like she was watching a game of muggle tennis. She was quite entertained, until she suddenly realized what the bet was on.

Marlene was attempting to compromise, "just buy me a butterbeer next time we're in Hogsmeade and I'll forget your current disregard for ru—"

"You bet on how soon I would talk about Potter, didn't you?" The heads of the other Gryffindor sixth years turned toward the indignant ginger. "Didn't you? You did!"

"Well we were right, weren't we? So at least you can say that your friends know you well." Marlene shrugged, wincing at the expression on her friend's face.

"Honestly. I don't talk about Potter as much as you all make it seem." Lily's stern expression faltered. "Do I?"

"No! Not any more than a normal teenage girl would talk about the man whom she loathes." Mary nodded helpfully.

"Debatable." Dorcas muttered and Marlene discreetly nodded in agreement.

"See, this is why Mary is my favourite."

"I am! Brilliant!" Mary smiled to herself.

There was a lull in the conversation, and right before Lily felt a social responsibility to bring up a conversation topic, Dorcas suddenly realized the full implications of Lily's news. "Camille Cardice, though? Honestly?"Lily sighed, a nod not necessary.

"You'd think the bloke would have better taste." Dorcas, on the Quidditch team with James, was the only girl in the compartment who considered herself friends with the bespeckled Marauder, and was probably the one (besides Lily) who was taking the most offense in this new relationship.

"She's… well you know…" Mary grimaced.

"Oh, you know it's an issue when Mary doesn't like someone," Dorcas said. The four girls grew quiet again.

Marlene suddenly brightened up. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! I learned who our new Defence teacher is!" And that was all it took to change the subject for the rest of train ride, which they spent joking and laughing and teasing and very much not thinking about James Potter.

* * *

"Oi! Dorcas!" A male voice was heard calling out on the Hogsmeade platform.

"Oh bloody hell, no." Dorcas resolutely ignored the voice, but its owner was apparently closer than expected.

"There you are! I was looking for you on the train." Alfie Clynch, a seventh year Hufflepuff (who was making a pitiful attempt to grow a mustache) bounded over to Dorcas and her friends.

"Mmm." Dorcas made a noncommittal noise which was enough to tell her friends that she was very much not interested in this particular young man.

"I was wondering if you would want to sit with me on the ride over to Hogwarts." Alfie raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, that's very sweet Alfie, but…" But Dorcas's excuse was not to be heard, since at that moment Alfie's much more attractive friend, Alexander Alkinson, walked up, and she fell silent.

"Oi, where are we sitting, mate? I just had to dodge some goggle-eyed fifth years." Alexander was probably one of the most attractive blokes in seventh year, and he was well aware of the fact. Some girls found his confidence charming, but others (Lily included) found him to be a douche-bag who was only enjoyable to look at from afar.

On noticing the presence of the four Gryffindors, Alexander winked at them, before turning back to his friend, awaiting his response.

"Oh, well, I was, um, I was asking Dorcas to join us on the carriage," Alfie puffed out his chest and spoke with a confidence and pride obviously implemented to impress his friend.

"And I was very happily agreeing to a ride." Dorcas smiled at Alexander and absentmindedly waved goodbye to her friends as she stepped into the carriage.

"We have space for another, actually…" Alfie awkwardly stared at the remaining three girls, not sure with which one to place his metaphorical cards (probably having figured out that Dorcas was not his best bet for a snog).

"I'll go." Marlene shrugged nonchalantly, as if she wasn't internally screaming at the prospect of a carriage ride with Alexander Alkinson. She looked back at her friends with a gleeful smile and an eyebrow raise as she accepted Alexander's gallantly offered right hand.

"And then there were two," Mary muttered as Lily and she watched their friends' carriage ride away.

Lily rolled her eyes, "come on, let's find us a carriage before you too up and leave me behind for a fit boy."

"Well, then make sure to stay away from Jack Lenking." Mary joked.

The girls had to walk far back in the line of carriages before they found one with space for the two of them, and it was, better yet, empty. Lily and Mary had just sat down when a tall mop-haired boy stuck appeared at the side of the carriage.

"Oh, Mary. Thank Merlin." The boy ran a hand through his hair, which would have been in desperate need of a cut, if it was not complimented by a strong jawline and great cheekbones. The boy seemed oddly familiar to Lily, and the very fact that he was speaking so informally to Mary told her that she should know who this attractive teenage boy was.

"Benjy! Oh my… what…" Mary was obviously searching for the right thing to say, "do you want to get in?" Mary finished weakly.

Lily barely registered the boy's affirmative response as she was trying to reconcile the image of the Benjamin Fenwick she had always known with this tall, chiselled person now sitting directly in front of her. Benjamin was supposed to be short, slightly chubby, dorky Ravenclaw who Mary had formed a friendship with in third year when they were partnered in a Care of Magical Creatures class. Mary seemed to be similarly shocked, but she at least had recognized the bloke.

"Oh, hullo Lily, sorry that I'm being so rude, and acting so weird it's just…" Benjy awkwardly looked down at the floor. "I was desperately in need of a friend right now." He smiled quickly at Mary before returning to his staring competition with the bottom of the carriage.

"What's wrong?" Mary's discomfort seemed to be immediately be replaced by worry, as she anxiously stared at her friend.

"Nothing, it's just, well, I… I went through a growth spurt this past summer, as you might have noticed," Benjy awkwardly grimaced. "It _was _a couple of years late, but apparently that means nothing to a large majority of the Hogwarts female population, who suddenly all remember about the times they sat next to me in Charms and are now insisting that I sit with them the rest of the way to school…" Benjy sighed, still not looking up.

"But, what about Edmund? And Jasper?"

"Yes, I sat with them on the train, but I lost them on the way out. I tried to find them, but I think they already left. Anyway, I'm sitting with you now, which is _grand _considering I know get to hear all about your summer." Benjy finally looked up, smiling at Mary. "And yours too, Lily." He quickly added politely, nodding at the Gryffindor.

Lily nodded back and would have quite enjoyed to lean back and listen to her friend discuss her summer with an attractive boy, but she realized that their carriage was not, in fact, moving. All the carriages in front of them were already on their way to the school, but since theirs did not carry the compulsory four passengers, it was staying still. Lily turned around to look at the carriages behind her, and the five or six waiting seemed to be doing just that, already filled and ready to go. Lily waited a moment, waiting to feel a familiar lurch that meant movement. But it didn't come, and Lily was resigned to the knowledge that she would have to take action, and worse comes to worse, pull someone out of the last carriage to join hers.

"One second, let me get this carriage situation sorted." Lily jumped off the carriage, not noticing that Benjy and Mary had missed her inner monologue and were therefore staring after her in confusion.

As soon as Lily walked past the carriage directly behind hers, she noticed someone standing on the ground next to the second to last carriage. Lily stopped, not wanting to interrupt the conversation that was occurring between the five bodies. In the dimming light of evening, it took Lily a moment to realize that the five people were the Marauders plus Hufflepuff Camille, the last of whom was standing awkwardly next to the carriage.

"Oh, yes, Prongs. That's a brilliant plan. Now would you prefer me to sit on your lap, or on Wormtail's?" Lily caught the sarcastic voice of Sirius Black, and she held back a laugh at his comment taken out of context.

"What do you want me to do, make my girlfriend walk to school?" James Potter paused for a moment, "actually, don't answer that."

Sirius replied, never changing from his sarcastic, mocking tone, but Lily was more interested in watching Camille, who just stood next to the carriage, wringing her hands and alternating between staring at the floor and at her boyfriend.

"You know what, mate. I'll meet you at the school. I, a self competent 16 year old, carry the ability to transport myself to my nearby place of schooling when the school-provided transport system does not work for me, and I shall take advantage of the intelligence that 16 years of life has given me, and will see you during the Welcome Feast." Sirius Black suddenly jumped out of the carriage, making an exaggerated gesture for Camille to enter the carriage.

"Let me know when your time of the month is over, Padfoot." James responded loudly.

Lily heard a muttered response from Remus Lupin, who had spent the length of this argument speaking to his friends in an even tone of voice, obviously trying (and failing) to reconcile his friends.

"Moony. Wormtail." Lily watched as Sirius bowed dramatically to his friends. He turned to the Hufflepuff (whom had wasted no time in taking his spot and snuggling into her boyfriend), "Number 27," he said curtly, before wheeling around to walk straight towards Lily.

"Evans." Sirius loped past Lily without a second glance, putting his hands in his pockets and gracefully nodding his head.

"Black." Lily debated for a moment whether to bring on the wrath and annoyance of twentysome of her classmates or to have to deal with Sirius Black. She might have chosen the former, if not for a scathing look sent to her by an impatient Ravenclaw.

"Um, Black. If you're looking for a way to the school… we have an extra spot in our carriage." Lily smiled weakly.

Sirius lazily turned around and raised an eyebrow at Lily. "You're inviting me to sit with you."

"Mhm." Lily nodded.

"Well this isn't good."

"Uh, oh. Okay."

"No I mean… Someone has to tell Dumbledore that he has students under the Imperius Curse."

"Oh, really, Black."

"Oh no, I'm _serious_." Lily snorted at the unoriginal cheesy pun. Sirius remained stoic. "First, James is all besotted with his girlfriend and is thinking of her before his mates and now… Lily Evans is being cordial to me." Sirius shook his head and shrugged, "it's deeply disturbing."

"Black, just get in the carriage before Montaria Jingley hexes us both." Lily discreetly motioned in the direction of the offending Ravenclaw, who did, in fact, seem ready to rain curses on the two Gryffindors.

"Lily Evans, what was the situation of our first meeting?" Sirius theatrically raised his wand at the exasperated prefect.

"Honestly, Black, that works for Polyjuice Potion. Not Imperius. If someone's under the Imperius Curse, they would be acting out of character, _not _unable to answer basic questions about their personal life." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Evans! It _is_ you!" Sirius put his wand in his pocket and moved forward, looking ready to hug Lily.

"Get in the carriage." Lily pointed at the one holding Mary and Benjy (who had abandoned their conversation to stare at the one between Lily and Sirius).

"I like it when you're bossy."

"Get. In." Sirius shrugged and obliged.

Mary and Benjy were staring dumbfounded at the new arrival, who immediately made himself comfortable in the seat across from Mary. As soon as Lily joined the other three on the now quiet carriage, she felt the blessed jolt that signified movement (accompanied by the sound of Montaria Jingley letting out a melodramatic sigh paired with an aggravated "_finally._")

Sirius motioned toward his new companions, "Benwick. Perm. Good evening."

"Perm?" Benjy Fenwick looked at Sirius with confusion written all over his newly attractive face. He, for one, did not understand what Sirius was referencing.

Mary self-consciously touched her thick locks. "This is natural, actually," she said softly.

"Honestly, Perm, do you not know by now that us Marauders give everyone a nickname?" Sirius leaned back in his seat and languidly closed his eyes, signalling that, for him, the conversation was over as quickly as it started.

"But, really, of all my defining features… _Perm_?"

"Wait, I don't have one! Why don't I have a witty nickname?" Lily joined Mary in her indignation.

Sirius opened an eye and studied the other 16 year olds. "'Perm' because we have never spoken to you sufficiently for us to have something sufficiently character defining. And, Evans, you do have a nickname; I've just sworn on threat of decapitation to not repeat it."

"And that's not in the least cryptic and frightening," Lily muttered to herself.

Benjy had been silently listening to this whole exchange, but he suddenly seemed unable to keep himself from talking, "is it 'Benwick' only because it's catchy? Or is there some secret meaning?"

"Just because it sounds cool, honestly."

"Oh." Benjy, who had previously sat up in his chair out of excitement, slumped back.

"We can only come up with so many truly clever nicknames with great reasoning."

"Because you have the mental capacities of five year old children with only so much imagination." Lily responded without missing a beat.

"Nice manners, Evans."

"Mmm." Lily couldn't think of anything properly witty to respond with, and was about to fall silent, when she suddenly remembered something Sirius had said just a few minutes before.

"Number 26."

"27." Sirius replied subconsciously.

"Why, may I ask?" Lily asked. Again, Mary and Benjy were staring at the others in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sure you can guess." Sirius raised his eyebrows at Lily and smirked.

"27, as in she's the… the 27th…" Lily wracked her brain, throwing her head back and closing her eyes tightly, drumming her fingers on her pale forehead. After a few moments of this, her eyes popped open and she snapped her head toward Sirius. "Honestly? Is it really the… is she really the…" Lily struggled with how to tactfully say what she had just hypothesized, opting to just raise her eyebrows suggestively instead.

"Well, she's not the 27th girl that he's shagged if that's what you're worried about."

"Um, question, are we talking about Camille here?" Mary interjected suddenly.

"Yes." Lily and Sirius replied in unison.

"So, she's the 27th girl he's snogged?" Sirius's silent smirk was all the answer she needed. "Blimey." Lily leaned back and looked out the window, more shocked than anything else.

"Well, actually, I don't really, technically think so." Sirius shrugged laconically. "She's actually number 13, I think. Or is it 14?" Sirius muttered some inaudible names to himself. "Well, anyway, I digress. The number employed in the nickname is a tad larger than it is in actuality, but 27 just brings her _that _much more paranoia and discomfort. Well, it will whenever her challenged brain gets the damned name." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"How did you choose 27? Or do I not want to know?" Benjy interjected.

"Ah, dear Benwick, the mysteryis half the fun."

"Mmm." Benjy nodded, pretending to understand what Sirius meant, though his quick eyebrow raise and head shake to Mary betrayed otherwise. He opened his mouth to ask something else, but the carriage came to an abrupt halt before he could say anything.

Lily was the first to jump out of the carriage, subconsciously breaking into a smile as she hurried toward the brightly lit Entrance Hall. She was so absorbed in looking around at the bustling, talking teenagers, the magically hanging candles, the moving portraits and occasional floating ghost that she didn't notice Sirius's presence until he was already next to her, matching her step with his. But she was so content that she refused to allow his presence to bother her, instead choosing to continue to walk through her school in silent revelry. But silence did not seem to be in the cards for the walk to the Great Hall, since right then a stern Remus Lupin and an out-of-breath Peter Pettigrew ran up to Lily and Sirius.

"Honestly, Padfoot." Remus began in an exasperated tone.

"Hi Lily!" Peter interjected in a small voice.

"Hullo, Peter." Lily responded quietly, looking over at the other two.

"Whatever is the matter, Moony?" Sirius asked with mock concern, looking over at the unsmiling Marauder.

"The matter is that you refuse to spend more than ten seconds in the presence of Prong's girlfriend."

"And this is an odd reaction toward her presence because…?"

"Because she's dating your best mate! Who just happens to take it personally when you stalk off with nothing but a rude comment towards her."

"It's true. Prongs was really upset on the rest of the way over." Peter added weakly, and though he seemed to want to say something else, he was silenced by the look on Sirius's face. He instead chose to bow his head and walk quietly with the other three six years.

"I'm sorry that I say what's on my mind. Would you prefer if I lie?" Sirius stopped walking and turned to face Remus.

"There's a difference between telling the truth and being an _arse._" Remus stopped as well, matching Sirius's stance.

"Is there?"

"Yes!" Remus looked up at the ceiling. "What's your problem with her, anyway?"

Sirius looked over Remus's shoulder, shrugging.

"She doesn't really have a personality. At all." Lily interrupted unthinkingly. Sirius nodded appreciatively.

Remus moved his scathing gaze between Sirius and Lily, finishing, with a sigh, on Sirius. "Honestly, Padfoot. Please just try and be nice to Camille, for Prongs's sake. Whatever you feel about her, he seems to really like her." Sirius appeared doubtful.

"Just, at least be civil to her. You don't want to lose a friend just because you're a dick to his girlfriend."

"Prongs would not choose _her _over us." Sirius responded defensively.

"No, he probably wouldn't. But you might."

"I might choose Camille? Honestly, Moony, you're off your rocker."

"No!" Remus rolled his eyes and sighed. "I mean that you might close yourself off if you continue like this." Remus stared unflinchingly at Sirius, who remained quiet for a few moments.

"I'll be civil. But that's it." Sirius answered stoically.

"That is all I'm asking." Remus smiled slightly.

"Oh, look, it's my new acquaintance. Is waving sufficient, or should I go over and give her a hug?" Sirius nodded toward Camille, standing a few meters away and talking to James.

Remus sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, trying not to smile as he chided Sirius. "You're pushing it, Padfoot."

"I'm just trying to be cordial! Honestly!"

Lily was distracted by Remus and Sirius's conversation by the one involving James and Camille. Lily watched as James nodded furtively as he told his girlfriend something and then proceeding to kiss her quickly before walking away toward his friends… and Lily. Lily tried to quickly think of an escape route, but in a manner of seconds, James was upon them, staring at his fellow Gryffindors.

"Replacing me, Evans?" James asked, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Lily was startled by this greeting, the first words he had spoken to her all day, and they had contained all of the teasing of years past, but without any of the flirtation.

"I'd rather not, thanks." In her peripheral vision, Lily caught Remus sending Sirius a pointed look that went ignored.

"So you're providing transportation and company to my friend—"

"MERLIN'S FUCKING… OW." Lily turned away from James to see Sirius wincing and hopping, while trying to maintain balance as he gingerly held his right foot. "Honestly, Moony, I was going to do it! Without you hexing my foot!"

James Potter bemusedly stared at two of his best friends, who had started bickering again. He turned toward three straggling and frightened second years, some of the only students, besides the five Gryffindors, still not in Great Hall. "And with that, welcome back to Hogwarts," he said, with a laugh in his voice and a deep, theatrical bow added for dramatic effect.

Lily, looking around at the emptying Entrance Hall, decided that she trusted Remus to not let the situation escalate too intensely. She ushered the second years toward the noisy Great Hall, James's remark echoing in her head. _Welcome back, indeed. _

**A/N: Well, that's that... more James in chapters to come! If you read this all, thank you!**


	3. Chapter 2

2 September 1975

"Don't you just love pumpkin juice?" Lily set down her glass after a very refreshing first gulp, looking around at her still half asleep friends with a wide smile.

"No." Dorcas didn't look up from her zombie-esque movement of shoving a piece of plain toast into her mouth.

"Did anyone else purposely forget that Evans was a morning person," Sirius (loudly) muttered a few seats over. Lily's four roommates all replied with very exasperated, negating responses.

"Okay then. I shall leave you all to your toast." Lily directed this toward her roommates, but Sirius still sighed appreciatively.

Right as Lily was about to give up on silence and talk to Mary, the nicest of her friends in the morning, a stray owl came flying into the Great Hall. This one owl was immediately followed by a flurry of owls of different colours, sizes, and (in the case of Marlene's overweight tawny owl) shapes. Lily didn't bother looking for her owl, Athena, since it was only the first day back at school. Instead, she looked at her fellow students. Lily broke into a smile at seeing the first years stared up in wonder and shock (and occasional fright). She then proceeded to actually let out a very loud guffaw when an especially large owl ran into a jug of milk at the Slytherin table, spraying all the surrounding students. Lily was especially content to see that prick Nicolai Mulciber sulking even more than usual as he struggled to maintain his dignity (unsuccessfully) while trying different spells to dry his robes.

Alice Fortescue, the fifth inhabitant of the sixth year girls' dormitory, sent Lily a questioning look. She leaned over to speak to her neighbouring Gryffindor, "May I ask what's so funny at this hour of the morning?"

"Oh, nothing, just laughing at other peoples' misfortunes." Lily snuck another look at the still struggling Mulciber and company.

"That's… not very characteristically Lily-like." Alice, with her choppy and short dark brown hair juxtaposing her heart shaped face and large eyes, was the type of teenage girl who looked like she could either be someone unruly and rebellious or someone abundantly sweet. She managed to be both, but mainly the latter around her closest friends. She looked confusedly at Lily, but as soon as she followed the direction of Lily's discreet head nod, a small smile broke out on her lips. Suddenly her attention drifted to the Ravenclaw table, and her smile quickly departed from her face. Alice snapped her head toward someone sitting a couple of seats away from Lily, and pursed her lips thoughtfully .

After a moment of silence, she leaned close to Lily and whispered, "Look at Mary… and well… just, yes." Lily sent a look toward her curly-haired friend, who was looking much sadder than usual and was herself sending secret looks across the table to… Lily followed Mary's eyesight straight towards Benjy Fenwick. Who seemed to have gotten himself a devoted following since the last time Lily saw him.

"Oh no," Lily whispered.

Alice shifted her eyes toward Mary, her espresso coloured hair falling into her eyes. "Do you think that…?" Alice's voice trailed off as she turned back toward Lily, not sure how to phrase her question.

"That…?" Lily snuck another look at her sullen friend.

"That, you know, this is because of… the…" Alice looked emphatically toward the Ravenclaw table.

Lily followed her gaze to the sharp bone structure that had not been there just a few months before. She shook her head, "No." She didn't know why, but she felt that maybe this had been years in the making. She added, to answer Alice's questioning look, "I just, I've always had an inkling about them." Which was mostly true. Though she had never actually spent hours mulling over the thought in her head, part of her had always thought they would work well as a pair.

"Well, apparently, your inkling was only half right." Alice replied disappointedly, her voice falling to ensure that none of their friends, namely Mary, would overhear the rest. "Apparently Mr. Fenwick is a bigger sucker for batting eyelashes than we would have wished." The two friends looked over at the Ravenclaw table together, silently watching as Benjy politely smiled and nodded at something Montaria Jingley was saying.

"I think he's just being nice. He's not the type to be rude to a pack of interested birds," Lily reasoned. Alice took a sip of pumpkin juice, not convinced.

"I mean, you should have seen him in the carriage yesterday; he was so engaged and caring, and truly very nice," Lily reasoned.

"Wasn't this the same carriage ride that you took with Sirius Black?"

"Yes. And?"

"And anyone looks like a gentleman next to that." Alice turned her glance toward the glowering figure of morning-time Sirius Black.

Marlene, who had apparently woken up enough to have an interest in her surroundings, interjected, "wait who's a gentleman next to whom?" She leaned in toward her two friends. But before either Alice or Lily could reply, Professor McGonagall's voice broke out across the Gryffindor table.

"Schedules, everyone." She briskly started walking down the table, handing off schedules with efficiency intimidating to all. "Sixth years, you might have to stay a moment or two later since I have to discuss some particulars with many of you." At those last few words, every sixth year at the Gryffindor table (who was awake enough to know what was going on) felt that McGonagall was staring right at them.

McGonagall quickly reached Lily's end of the table, handing each of the assembled sixth years their respective schedules. Lily quickly read over her schedule to make sure that she didn't have any questions for McGonagall, who was finishing handing out schedules and would soon be swamped with the complaints and queries of many of the students. Content to see that she was enlisted in every NEWT level class she had wanted to enter, she reread the schedule for the actual order of classes, watching out of their corner of her eye as her friends and classmates jumped up and ran toward their head of house. She caught McGonagall's stern voice stating matter-of-factly, "Well, I'm sorry Mr. Pettigrew, but you didn't achieve the level needed on your Transfiguration OWL to enter into the NEWT level class. But I thought you would be happy to see that you made it into Charms and Potions…. Miss Fortescue, you say that you don't want to take Herbology, but I know many an auror who has found it very helpful, and I thought with your O, you might want… No, Mr. Potter, I cannot put him in your class for the sole reason that you want to take every class with your best friends; you can socialize with him in your dormitory… So, Miss Meadowes, are you telling me that you _do _want to stay in Care of Magical Creatures…" Lily turned her attention away from her teacher and toward Mary, the only one of her roommates who did not have business to take up with the Transfiguration professor.

"What class do you have now?"

"Potions." Mary's glum expression deepened as she read the first class on her schedule.

"I didn't know you were taking Potions!" Lily was well acquainted with her friend's dislike of the subject. In fact, the only one of Lily's friends who had ever liked Potions as much as Lily was Severus. All the rest found it to be useless and boring. Especially Mary. But regardless of how much Mary enjoyed it, Lily would be glad to have one more supportive friend in the cold dungeons in which Sev and she had done so well.

"Ya, well, Mum very pointedly told me how proud she was that I would be able to get into the NEWT class, so I couldn't very well back out. She was top of her class in potions, you know." Mary sighed deeply, a frown on her pretty face as she read her schedule again.

Lily smiled sympathetically. "Well, at least you don't have to take divination." The two friends looked up at the gray-haired teacher that Sirius and James had accurately nicknamed "Crazy Eyes" in third years.

"Oh, yes. That is true." Mary chuckled softly. "Thank Merlin."

* * *

"Lily!" Professor Slughorn looked up from the potion he was setting up on one of the lab tables. "We missed you in the little Slug Club meeting on the train ride! But of course, you had your prefect duties to attend to." Here Slughorn broke into an even wider grin than the one that had emerged on his face when he had first caught sight of Lily. "Oh, hello Margaret." He added as an afterthought.

"Hullo, Professor." Mary replied with well masked annoyance. After five years in his class, Mary was unfazed by Slughorn not knowing her name. She walked past Slughorn, rolling her eyes when she was already behind him. She took a seat in the third row, purposefully taking out her new copy of Advanced Potions-Making and straightening it out on the table.

"Hello Professor," Lily said, smiling at Slughorn before walking down the aisle to join Mary at her table. But as she was placing her bag on the table, Slughorn called out.

"Now don't get too comfortable, Lily. I'm sorry to tell you that I'm going to have to be giving assigned seats this year due to some certain… occurrences of last year." Slughorn shrugged in apology and returned to the potion in front of him. Lily sat down next to Mary, leaving her bag closed and ready to be moved.

"Do you think it's because of…?" Mary's voice trailed off, and she motioned to grab a sheet of paper from the pile of parchment in front of her, since she obviously did not want to be overheard by Slughorn.

"Yes." Lily answered before Mary could dip her quill in ink. Lily shrugged in response to Mary's eye roll.

The year before, the Marauders had blown up one too many cauldrons when they should have been working together on classwork, and a nearby Hufflepuff was sent to the infirmary two weeks before exams. Needless to say that Slughorn stopped acting like an indulging grandfather after that.

Lily and Mary sat silently, both curiously looking around at the conflicting aromas coming from all the different tables. It was not long before the rest of their class swooped in around them; each entrance bringing with it Slughorn's cryptic comment about assigned seating. Marlene and Alice came to stand with their two friends (Dorcas had opted out of Potions), leaning on the table and renewing their previous debate about the newest Defence teacher, a favourite topic amongst most students on the first days of school. Lily looked around the class, her eyes falling (without her consent) on the quiet, slouching figure of Severus Snape in the corner of the room. While all her internal organs clenched with the cold feeling of disappointment, Lily quickly turned back towards her friends, ignoring the worried look on Alice's face. She smiled quickly and joined her friends' conversation, adding her own thoughts on the newest addition to the Hogwarts faculty. But though her eyes were paying closing attention to her friends' conversation, her mind was moving to the assigned seating chart. Sev and she were the top of their class in Potions, and Slughorn did think them friends. Lily shook her head (even though it might look odd to all those not privy to her thoughts). Odds of her getting Sev as a partner were… Lily looked around the room, but her brain was too muddled and it was too early in the school year for her to figure out the exact odds. She just figured that they'd be slim. She turned very purposely toward her friends, partaking in their light conversation until the sound of Slughorn's booming voice broke through the ever-increasing volume of the teenagers.

"Ah well, here we are! Another year of learning together! And this year, we shall study the very substances that can control the most human of characteristics and attitudes! It will be hard work, I admit, but the students who have passed through this class have joined the hall of the greatest wizards of this era. Just entering this class has bettered your chance of joining them." Here Slughorn chuckled. "Now, you just have to prove you can! But before you show me how much knowledge you retained over the summer holiday, why don't we change around the seating arrangement? This year, I feel that it might be necessary to have assigned seats… due to certain occurrences of last year." Slughorn reached down for a chalice, purposefully not looking at the Marauders, an action made unnecessary when the students all turned toward the smug Gryffindors anyway.

"Well, let us partner off, shall we?" Slughorn said loudly, as he tried to regain the lost attention of his sixteen year old students.

"First…" Lily focused with every fibre of her being on Slughorn's words. Every time that two students were paired off, and neither were Lily or Severus, she both took a breath that she was not yet his partner and blanched at the smaller drawing pool that they were both in.

And then she heard it. "Severus Snape with—"

Lily's head snapped up.

"Li—"

Lily's stomach seemed to move in 20 different directions simultaneously.

"Linus Sporsky."

A pimply Hufflepuff looked up with a grimace. Lily, for her part, was so lost in her relief that she missed the next name. She gave Marlene a questioning look to make sure it was not her own name, but her unspoken question was answered by Slughorn reading out the next name, "And Lily Evans! This table, over here." Slughorn gestured to a table in front of him, causing two Ravenclaws to begrudgingly give up their spots in the front of the classroom. Lily jumped out of her chair and grabbed her bag, nodding goodbye to Marlene (Mary and Alice had gotten paired together and were sitting across the room), who seemed to be holding back a laugh. Lily looked around during her whisper-filled walk to the front of the classroom. The only other body walking to the front was the loping figure of James Potter, who couldn't be her partner. No. Merlin's pissing beard, no. She reached the front of the room and carefully took a seat, refusing to look at the person sitting next to her. At the person that would be sitting next to her all year long. She listened very carefully as Slughorn read Marlene's name and then Sirius's, not losing focus as Slughorn finished the list of students. Instead of looking at her partner, she stared at a cauldron that Slughorn had placed in the centre of the table.

"Well, I think that is everyone. Now, why don't you all take a moment to acquaint yourself with your tablemate and then we shall start on this Potions lesson!"

Lily cautiously looked to the left, but snapped forward the second she saw an overly familiar head of hair over an (admittedly chiselled) jaw line. Of course. Of course. Why did she doubt it for a moment. The very person who she did not even bother to think or worry about (who she had not worried about for a few, peaceful months) would be just the youth she would be partnered with for the whole year_. _In debatably her favourite class. _Hello, my name is Lily Evans and welcome to my life. _Lily sat in horror filled silence as she stared straight ahead, but after a few moments of only hearing the jumble of conversations did she notice that her partner was also quiet. No "some would call it fate, Evans." No "we shall get mighty acquainted this year; be sure of that." No flirtations of any nature. Which eased the blow a little. She snuck another look at her tablemate, who seemed to be doodling absentmindedly in his notebook. Lily took out a novel to read during these few minutes of relative calm, blocking out the sound of Mary and Alice (the lucky bastards) laughing at their table.

But her reading was cut short by Slughorn moving to stand in front of her table as he called for attention.

He tapped at a cauldron situated in the centre of the table. "Now who can tell me what this is?"

Lily had been sitting next to the substance for a few minutes already, and the delicious aroma had given her an idea as to the content. Her hand shot up at Slughorn's question.

"Ah, yes, Lily." Slughorn smiled down at her.

"This is amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It is supposed to smell different to every person, according to… according to what they're attracted to." A murmur of intrigued whispers shot up from around the room.

"Very good, Lily. 10 points to Gryffindor." Slughorn nodded happily. "James!" Slughorn turned to Lily's oddly quiet tablemate. "What do you smell?"

Lily turned toward her surprised partner, who had put on a big smile for the sake of his audience. He leaned forward and took a theatrical sniff, "well, I smell butterbeer," he took another exaggerated sniff, "chocolate and…" James's smirk faltered, "ya, butterbeer and chocolate."

Both Slughorn and Lily gave James an odd look for a second before the former turned toward another cauldron and the latter turned back to the amortentia. She was still trying to figure out what it smelled like for her. She had smelled musty old books (the type that still carry the scent of ink), rain (because as much as her friends tease her, she's sure that rain has a smell) and something else… she took another discreet sniff. Yeah, it was dirt. She sighed to herself. Of all possible things to smell in the most intense of all love potions, she smelled dirt. Yes, it at least it was fresh and (relatively) clean, like the dirt that would come in the bags that Professor Sprout gave them in Herbology. But still. Dirt. This was really going to be one of those days, huh.

She looked up to see Slughorn back at the front of the class, and she began to nod in faux-understanding in the way that she had mastered with years of practice (In third year, she had realized that she didn't have to listen to everything the teacher said, and she had then proceeded to master the art of looking up and nodding encouragingly while doodling in the margins of her textbooks. It had grown into an art-form from there). But then out of the corner of her eye she saw James drumming his long fingers on the table as he attentively watched Slughorn. If James was paying attention, either the apocalypse was already beginning or Slughorn had just promised a date with a Veela as the prize for the best potion this period.

Lily actually tuned into Slughorn's words as he was finishing his instructions. "So, you shall have the remainder of the class to brew a Draught of the Living Death, and whoever makes the best one shall win this bottle of Felix Felicis. Begin!" Slughorn stated with a final flourish of his robes. Caught in the fast-paced energy which had grabbed hold of all the students at the promise of liquid luck, Lily pulled out her copy of _Advanced Potion Making _and immediately opened it to a random page (barely even having time to register what, exactly, Slughorn had promised). When she remembered that she did not, in fact, know what page this certain draught was on, she looked over the Quidditch-begotten shoulder of James Potter (though Lily admitted that James Potter's shoulders were quite muscular, that in no way meant she found them particularly appealing) at his copy. She searched for the page number and quickly turned back to her own copy, ignoring James's eyebrow raise that had come as a response to her close proximity.

Talk about starting the year off running. Lily spent the next hour (it felt longer…and shorter) running around the dungeon, trying to remember where all the needed ingredients were kept, wiping her blurry eyes, debating using her wand to dye the potion to the proper colour, accidently nicking her pinkie, thanking Merlin she had put her hair up and out of her face, wringing out her cramped hand and internally yelling at her Potions textbook for not being straightforward (though debatably not in that order). At the end of class, Lily's face was five minutes away from matching the colour of her hair, and her potion did not seem to have the right consistency. She stood staring at it as Slughorn made the rounds. Lily repeatedly had to remind herself that she's actually quite good at Potions… It was only the first day back after all; she still had to get back in the groove of things… she debated giving the draught another turn with her wand since Slughorn was not looking, but she was too mentally exhausted to even think of cheating. And she couldn't let Slughorn down like that. She sat down sullenly, wondering what a morning like this was predicting for the rest of the year.

"Moping isn't your colour, Evans."

Well. So he speaks.

"I would say smug isn't yours, Potter, but then I would be lying." Lily replied to James, though from the direction of her face it seemed she was addressing Slughorn's desk.

"Yes, because I would be smug about this," James gestured toward the green liquid in his cauldron, "and that," he nodded toward the side of the room, where Severus was being congratulated for a superb Draught of the Living Death.

Lily didn't have the energy (or, admittedly, the will) to respond. She took out her novel, not wanting to pay attention to the sounds of "brilliant, Severus, truly!" They filtered in without her permission. Right when she was finally able to begin concentrating on the words, Slughorn walked up to her table.

"Now let me see. Well, Lily, for your first time making a Draught of the Living Dead this is actually quite good. Of course, I expected nothing less from you. The only problem is that it's a tad too murky. Most years, this would win you the Felix Felicis."

"Wait. Would it actually work, Professor?" Lily looked down in shock at the potion that she had looked at in disgust 30 seconds before, growing embarrassed at her dramatics and surliness of only a minute before.

"Well, let's see." Slughorn pulled out at leaf and threw it into the cauldron, watching as it shrivelled up. "Not as harmful as others, but could still knock an average-sized wizard out for the rest of the day, I reckon. Not bad at all." Lily couldn't help smiling to herself as Slughorn turned to James, a frown forming on his walrus-like face. "Well, James, I see that you didn't set your cauldron to the right temperature, and you forgot to add the root of asphodel. But besides that, this is... good." Slughorn gave James a half-hearted smile before moving to the next table. Lily would have felt bad for her tablemate (and for acting so unnecessarily morose in front of him), if it had been someone else. But since it was James Potter, she remained relatively unbothered.

"Told you moping didn't befit you." James said to Lily once Slughorn had begun to criticize the next pair of students.

Lily turned to answer her messy-haired tablemate, but James was no longer in his seat. She looked around to see where he had gone, since he had disappeared so fast it was as if he had dissapparated. She found him a row down leaning in front of Sirius's cauldron, conniving with his best friend about mischief they were planning (or so it seemed from their laughing and their secretive facial expressions).

Lily turned back around, not wanting James to catch her looking for him, since he might assume it's for reasons other than simple curiosity. As soon as Lily was facing forward again, Slughorn walked to the front of the class and grabbed the vial of Felix Felicis. Lily's stomach clenched in anticipation, since she was both nervous and excited to hear the winner now that she knew she might have a chance.

"Well! This has been a great class! And there were many students who were on the right path. But there was one student who made a near perfect Draught of the Living Death. Will Severus Snape come up to collect his reward?" Slughorn smiled proudly at one of his favourite pupils, who allowed only the echo of a smile to reach his own lips.

"And with that, class is dismissed! For homework, I would like 2 feet on famous examples of the Draught of the Living Death!" Slughorn yelled over the sound of chairs scraping and books being thrown into bags. Lily carefully placed all her quills, papers, and books into her own bag, not willing to admit how bothered she was that Severus had beaten her in her favourite class. She looked up when Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked up to her table to collect the fourth Marauder.

Sirius turned to Lily with a smirk, "Evans, if I were you, I would stay away from Snivellus on the day he takes that Felix Felicis."

Lily responded by staring at him in a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"I'm just being a loyal mate, informing you that, who knows, he might try and rekindle your friendship with the help of that potion. He might eve—" Sirius looked at something behind Lily, shrugged, and headed to the door, not bothering to finish his sentence.

"You're not my loyal mate," Lily yelled to his retreating figure. She wasn't disturbed by Sirius's abrupt departure; one gets used to his oddities (though they never stop being annoying).

"Keep telling yourself that," Sirius replied without turning around. Lily rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to Remus, who was still waiting for James to cram all his things into his bookbag (Peter had scampered after Sirius).

Lily met her friends at the door of the classroom, already mentally prepared for their laughter and teasing about her assigned partner. It came as expected. She debated asking them for their opinions on what Sirius had said about Sev's acquisition of the Felix Felicis, but she already imagined their responses, so didn't see the point (Marlene: Bullshit, he'll probably just try and take a shower that won't leave his hair greasy, Alice: Or to establish a closer bond with you-know-who; hell, he might even give it to you-know-who, Mary: anyway, there's a difference between luck and achieving the impossible). And at any rate, at least one of them would probably be right.

**A/N: To anyone whose reading, reviewing, favouriting, etc., you make me smile and I hope to see more of you! Next chapter will hopefully be up sometime soon, and so far I like it much better than this one so that's a plus. Happy Tuesday. Omfg no its Monday. Okay. Time for me to try and get some sleep. Stay classy, San Diego. **


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